The Labor enquirer., 1887-04-16
1 IN ENGLAND.
A Special Letter Giving Items
Of Interest 10 the =
Workers.
What GRONLUND IS DOING.
The workingmenl 20. f. England Getting
+ Down!to Reconsideration Of.
Solid Principles.
Special Correspondence Of The Enquirer.

Special Correspondence Of The Enquirer.
HULL, England, March IA, 1887.
| Another anniversary of the slaughter of
the working people in 1871 in Paris is upon
us. Not long shall it be ere the workers
OF the world shall carry out in its fullness
the noble and soul-inspiring idea which
moved to action the men of the eighteenth
of March, 1871. All around we can see
discomfort often without knowledge of
its own meaning just as in Paris but few
knew the real and essential meaning Of
their revolt-but still discontent:. and to
make folk discontented is gain to our
Cause-for if they are in perpetual state
of SNUG satisfaction with. all the sordid
surroundings of life, it would be far better
to go and declaim to the roaring waves on
the sea-shore than attempt to get them TO
reform the world for love of the world.
~
The preachers of the Gospel of Discon-
tent" have chances enough just now, and
indeed they are not slow to take advantage
OF them Not only are they spreading
dscontqnt, they are giving il distinct
aim. the overthrow of the present system
Of robbfry and jobbery, ani the substitu-
ton Of . society of workers, brotherhood
of nations. In the good time coming
whom life awsketh, and the world shall
never tire" men will look back on the ex-
istence zone cannot say the iite-of to-
day, aHd win marvel greatly that ever it
should hnve been possible for millions Of
human beings to have rested quietly un-
der its conditions, and loudly will they
wonder that the workers of the world did
not rise in their might years and years
before and throttle the foul vampire
which sucked their life-blood from them.
But the end is not far distant. Capit.l-
ism cannot long survive. 1t is surely in
its death throes even now. And we who
voice the Cause of the Poor have to use
all our energy and knowledge lest We be
not prepared for the time fast approach
ing when the civilized world shall be
shaken to its foundations by the upheayal
o,1 Ioxvr of ~, nIary cnriatv r. tho
change which is sure to come, which is al
ready upon us, is to be of benefit to the
people, we must be up and doing without
more delay. Let us waste no more time
and energy in internal dissension, by
which we merely give cause to the enemy
to rejoice; all our strength is wanted to
show the people, the discontented, what to
aim at, what to strive for, lest if through
neglect, wilful or unavoidable, We have not
done this, the people should fight blindly,
aimlessly so with no effect.
In this country-this empire on which
the sun never sets-at the end Of "ffty
years Of unexampled prosperity" discon-
tent is rampant. With the limited forces
at our command we are doing what we
can to give this discomfort right and
Just aim, and though all the forces of cap
italism are arrayed against us-though
prostituted press and those who take their
opinions therefrom lie about US and SLAM
der us in way peculiarly their Own-we
can feel that knowledge and sympathy are
far more extended for us than they were
even two short years ago. The spirit of
self-sacrifice which has been shown by
many of our comrades, the single-mind-
edness and devotion to the Cause Of all,
have impressed even our bitterest enemies
with the idea that We have after all an
ideal which it would perhaps be worth
while to inquire into if only for the pur-
pose Of exposing it to ridicule.
| ~
"Hdw you not heard ho,o il has gone ,cith
many Cause before now: first, fen men
heed a.; n.rt, most men condemn It; lastly,
all men accept it-dnd the Cause is iron /"
Now let me turn from moralizing and
give you, my brothers and sisters in the
Cause, some short notes on the labor move
ment in the old country. Strikes all along
the line but unfortunately at most for
mere beggarly increase in the wages which
at present do not find the worker more
than the barest subsistence. More often
still is the strike against reduction OF
wage, such reduction meaning too often
a substitution for slow starvation such as
now characterizes the working class-sub'
stituting for this quicker means of exit
from world which now is full OF woe and
misery. / don't say that it is not better
under present-day conditions of life fol-
the workers to starve to death quickly
rather than slowly-it is perhaps better
that the agony should be over speedily al
may be. Carlyle says, 1T is not to die, OF
even to die of hunger, that makes a mar
wretched; many men have. died; all mer
must die. But it is to live miserable w
know not why; to work sore and gair
nothing; to be heart-worn, weary, yet $50
lated, unrelated" And have faith tha
the agony will indeed be at an enc
quickly, for without doubt though for th'
, workers of the past 'never tidings reached
their sorrow, never hope their toll nigh
find, yet at last they'v heard and hear it